A rapid juvenile murine model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH): Chronic intermittent hypoxia exacerbates Western diet-induced NASH.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether combining a Western-style diet with chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) could rapidly replicate key pathological features of pediatric NASH in juvenile mice.
Results Summary
The Western Diet (WD) combined with CIH accelerated liver damage, metabolic dysfunction, and fibrosis, mimicking pediatric NASH within 6-12 weeks. WD alone caused weight gain, steatosis, and metabolic disorders, while CIH exacerbated these effects, including oxidative stress and inflammation.
Population
Juvenile C57BL/6N mice (3 weeks old).
Effective Dosage
Not specified (hypercaloric fatty diet plus high fructose).
Duration
6 and 12 weeks.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Control diet with Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia (CIH) exposure | increase | hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance (IR) | C57BL/6 N mice (3 weeks old) | - | exhibited | #1 |
Western Diet (WD) | increase | weight gain | C57BL/6 N mice (3 weeks old) | - | developed | #2 |
Western Diet (WD) | increase | microvesicular steatosis | C57BL/6 N mice (3 weeks old) | - | developed | #3 |
Western Diet (WD) | increase | indices of metabolic disorders | C57BL/6 N mice (3 weeks old) | - | developed | #4 |
Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia (CIH) exposure | increase | WD-induced macromicrovesicular steatosis (liver triglycerides and de novo lipogenesis) | C57BL/6 N mice (3 weeks old) fed a Western Diet (WD) | - | accelerated | #5 |
Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia (CIH) exposure | increase | WD-induced liver injury (ballooned hepatocytes and liver enzymes) | C57BL/6 N mice (3 weeks old) fed a Western Diet (WD) | - | accelerated | #6 |
Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia (CIH) exposure | increase | WD-induced lobular/portal inflammation (inflammatory cytokines and macrophage recruitment) | C57BL/6 N mice (3 weeks old) fed a Western Diet (WD) | - | accelerated | #7 |
Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia (CIH) exposure | increase | WD-induced fibrogenesis (hydroxyproline content and TGF-β protein) | C57BL/6 N mice (3 weeks old) fed a Western Diet (WD) | - | accelerated | #8 |
Western Diet (WD) with Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia (CIH) exposure | increase | hepatic MDA content | C57BL/6 N mice (3 weeks old) | - | exhibited elevated | #9 |
Western Diet (WD) with Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia (CIH) exposure | increase | protein levels of NOX4 | C57BL/6 N mice (3 weeks old) | - | exhibited elevated | #10 |
Western Diet (WD) with Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia (CIH) exposure | increase | protein levels of α-SMA | C57BL/6 N mice (3 weeks old) | - | exhibited elevated | #11 |
Western Diet (WD) with Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia (CIH) exposure | increase | protein levels of collagen I | C57BL/6 N mice (3 weeks old) | - | exhibited elevated | #12 |
Western Diet (WD) with Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia (CIH) exposure | decrease | Nrf2 protein expression | C57BL/6 N mice (3 weeks old) | - | exhibited reduced | #13 |
Western Diet (WD) with Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia (CIH) exposure | decrease | HO-1 protein expression | C57BL/6 N mice (3 weeks old) | - | exhibited reduced | #14 |
AIMS: Many dietary NASH models require a long duration to establish (4-6 months). Chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), a cardinal hallmark of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), may accelerate the progression of pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, diet-induced obese (DIO) mice exposed to CIH have not been perceived as a fast or reliable tool in NASH research. This study was designed to establish a rapid juvenile murine NASH model, and determine whether the combination of CIH and a western-style diet (hypercaloric fatty diet plus high fructose) can fully display key pathologic features of NASH. METHODS: C57BL/6 N mice (3 weeks old) fed a control diet or western diet (WD) were exposed to CIH (9% nadir of inspired oxygen levels) or room air for 6 and 12 weeks. KEY FINDINGS: The Control/CIH group mainly exhibited hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance (IR). In contrast, mice fed a WD developed weight gain after 3 weeks, microvesicular steatosis in 6 weeks, and indices of metabolic disorders at 12 weeks. Furthermore, CIH exposure accelerated WD- induced macromicrovesicular steatosis (liver triglycerides and de novo lipogenesis), liver injury (ballooned hepatocytes and liver enzymes), lobular/portal inflammation (inflammatory cytokines and macrophage recruitment), and fibrogenesis (hydroxyproline content and TGF-β protein). Notably, only the WD/CIH group exhibited elevated hepatic MDA content, protein levels of NOX4, α-SMA and collagen I, as well as reduced Nrf2 and HO-1 protein expression. SIGNIFICANCE: WD/CIH treatment rapidly mimics the histological characteristics of pediatric NASH with metabolic dysfunction and fibrosis, representing an appropriate experimental model for NASH research.